


ln Hertford, Hereford and Hawaii...

by Amarylissa



Series: Conditions [4]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-24
Updated: 2013-03-26
Packaged: 2017-12-06 08:02:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/733347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amarylissa/pseuds/Amarylissa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>...hypothermia hardly ever happens.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He’s curled on the floor, cursing his stupidity, Danny’s voice saying ‘Wait for backup,’ ringing in his ears. ‘If I've told you once, Steven, I've told you a thousand times...’ but Danny’s not here. 

Here is a refrigerator way out back in a big food store. 

Steve was only planning to check out a lead on a drug runner called Marcus Rogers, a man they’d been after for months. It was nothing really risky, just going round the back, checking out who was on the premises, maybe taking him into custody. And if Danny had to be in court, if Chin and Kono were across the island working on another lead on the guy, well, Steve’s never been a man to sit on his hands. And if the call came in when he was on his own, well, it was time critical, so of course he went. And if it was a set up and he was on his own and they got the jump on him...

He catches himself: you don’t have to justify yourself to Danny, man, he’s not here. And actually, Danny was right, not that Steve’s going to say this out loud. There’s no-one to say it to. 

He rubs his face: it’s going to be one hell of a bruise. He thinks someone must have kicked him. He remembers seeing three men, black clothes, hats pulled down, heavy boots. After the taser, though, everything is fuzzy where it isn't a complete blank. 

Steve forces himself to stand up, wincing as his hands touch the cold of the walls, as he feels his ribs, his thigh, the other places where those boots must have connected. He struggles to focus, to plan. He’s shivering. Refrigerator, dark, must be between zero and five degrees. He could survive just fine at that temperature, but he’s not in the right gear. His shirt is damp where he’s been lying on the floor, and he’s dressed for the Hawaiian summer. ‘Move, man!’ he say out loud to himself. He steps up and down, cautiously, in the space available. Keep moving, keep warm.

Steve feels in his pockets, all of them, but the guys who took him down have been thorough. No phone, no gun, no wallet, he’s only glad they left him with his boots ... and that means he does have a knife. He bends down to retrieve the blade he’s got concealed, but his head objects to the movement and he finds himself leaning heavily on the floor.  
He doesn't know how long he leans there for, doesn't know how long he was unconscious for, but before he starts moving again he’s shivering. He stumbles as he pushes up again, forgetting why he bent down. He puts hands out and paces, trying to scope out the size of the space he’s in. There’s no light, but within two paces he can feel the walls. He feels his way round the edge, and gropes for the doorway. He has little hope that he’ll be able to do anything with the door: it’s sealed tight. He expends a little energy banging on the door, then takes a break. His head is throbbing badly now, and he turns his back to the door. If he just rests a moment...

Steve leans back against the door, then slides down into a heap.


	2. 2

Danny comes out of court at the end of a long session, hot, sweaty and tired. He’s pleased with the outcome, though, and now there’s nothing more he’d like than to call it a day and head off for a cold beer. He saunters back to the office: there are no messages on his phone so with any luck he can pick up Steve and they can both go and grab a few cold ones. 

Back at HQ, though, there’s no sign of Steve. No Kono, no Chin. Danny pulls out his mobile while scanning to see what’s on his desk. He calls Steve first, of course, but the phone rings to voice mail. What was Steve going to do this afternoon? Oh yeah, catch up on paperwork!

Danny strides through the building, doors slamming in his wake as he leaves his office and goes into Steve’s. He dials Chin while checking out Steve’s desk. 

“Hey, where are you guys?”

“On our way back. Kaaawa was a bust.”

“Tell him what we did, Chin,” Kono’s voice comes in from the background. 

“What did you let the rookie do, Chin?”

“Nothing like that. The address was real, but there was no Marcus Rogers living there, just the chattiest old auntie. We've had tea, and she’s planning on setting up Kono with her grandson!”

“We just couldn't get away, brah.” 

Danny’s frowning. “Do you know where Steve is?”

“No - he was at his desk when we left.”

“He’s not here now, he’s not picking up the phone.”

Danny picks up papers, looks at a handwritten note. 

“Why did you go up to Kaaawa?”

“Anonymous tip.”

“Can you trace Steve’s phone?”

“Sure, why? He’s probably just got bored of paperwork.”

Danny’s thinking hard. “This set up stinks Chin. Anyone could know I was in court. You guys go on a wild goose chase halfway round the island and end up having tea with grandma, and I can’t get hold of Steve.”

“I’m searching now.”

“Look, there’s a note on his desk, just scribbled. Keeaumoku Street. Does that mean anything?”

“Where do you do your shopping Danny?” Kono chips in. 

“A little store on the way home.”

“Keeaumoku Street is home to one of the biggest grocery stores on the Island, brah. Surely you've been there?”

“Looks like Steve’s phone’s there now.”

“OK, I’m heading over there to check it out. Maybe he’s just picking up Longboards and he’s left the phone in the car.”

“OK. We’re not far out now. See you soon.”

Danny puts his foot down, just holds off from blue-lighting it. There’s no need to panic, just because Steve’s not picking up, is there? It’s only moments before he pulls into the giant parking lot. He takes a breath, then picks up his own phone again, 

“Chin, I think I may need a little help here. It’s kind of bigger than I thought.”

He’s parked in seeming acres of cars and trucks, and stands on the edge of his own car door, trying in vain to spot the Silverado, when Chin and Kono pull in. 

“ I've got a lock on his phone. Come on.”

Danny and Kono follow Chin’s lead across the parking lot, right across. 

“Where are you taking us, cuz?” Kono asks as they head round the side of the building. The evening light is drawing in, and Danny puts his hand on his gun, 

“Set up, I fucking knew it was a set up.”

They’re more cautious now, away from the brightly lit parking lot and into the delivery area. Any deliveries have ended for the day, and the space is deserted. Chin’s scanner leads them to a giant dumpster. 

“Fuck, no!”

Danny and Kono lift the lid, expecting the worst, but it’s easy to see what’s in there. The dumpster must have been emptied earlier in the day, and at the bottom are a shiny HPD badge, Steve’s gun, wallet and phone. 

“We’re dealing with some amateurs here if they let us find this, man.” Kono’s almost too cheerful now. 

“Or they’re about to gun us down.” Danny’s not. 

Chin’s already got their backs, scanning the area, gun in one hand, phone in the other as he calls for backup. 

It doesn't take long for a couple of patrol cars to appear, for Danny to start a search in the area in and around the store. Chin’s trying to trace the call that sent them half way round the Island, checking for calls that came in that might have sent Steve out too. The store is vast, though, with almost as much storage space out back as retail space out front. 

“We’re gonna need more people Danny.”

“I know. I’ll get onto the Governor.”

Danny’s outwardly calm, inside he’s frantic. A part of him is thinking how mad Steve is going to be when it turns out he really has just gone to pick up a six pack of Longboards.

“We've got his truck,” Kono shouts across the parking lot. She’s been running up and down out the front with Ben from HPD. “He must have been here. It’s cold: he’s been here a while.”

The Governor’s on side, so Chin calls for further search teams, and then gets back to looking for a reason why. 

“Danny, I know we need to find Steve, but we've gotta ask the question, why are they doing this? What else is happening while we’re all tied up looking for Steve? What else is going on when HPD are doing the same thing?”

“Shit, shit, shit!” Danny shakes his head, trying to think clearly. “This is getting out of hand, isn't it? We’re being played. I've gotta keep looking: you work on the phone calls. Ask Kono to think this out too.” And he runs off again into the vast storage area. 

Duke’s there too, now, directing officers to pull open doors, search systematically through each area. One of them calls, “There’s blood!” It’s not much, and Danny feels his heart start again. He’s scanning the room where the blood was found, small smears on the floor, like someone has been dragged. It is the cold storage area, and he spots the perfect place to lock up a SEAL. 

“Open the fridges.” There are six of them, massive refrigerators with six foot doors. The first two hold nothing but cold cuts, nothing but seeming acres of exotic imported cheese, but the third one has tiny drips of blood outside.

“I think we’re near!” Duke helps Danny heave the lever, swing back the door, and Steve tumbles out onto the floor.


	3. Chapter 3

Danny bends to check his partner. There’s clear bruising on his cheek, the stud marks from a boot standing out purple red.  
“Steve! Steve? Come on man.”  


Steve stirs, but he’s not focusing, and Danny realizes his partner is icy cold.  


“Fuck. Anyone got a blanket? Duke, I think we’re gonna need an ambulance.”  


Danny knows what he’s dealing with, “He’s hypothermic. I've picked up guys off the street like this in Jersey.”  


He’s pulling at Steve’s shirt, “It’s damp, it’s not doing him any good.” Danny wraps his arms round Steve. “ We've gotta warm him up. He’s not shivering any more, it’s not good.”  


Kono’s there with blankets, new ones from somewhere out in the store. She rips off the packaging and spots what Danny’s trying to do right away, “Don’t move Danny, I’ll wrap them round you both.”  


Steve lets out a slurred sound, “Danno,” and it’s the best thing Danny’s heard since Grace’s first cry.  


“Steve, what were you up to man?”  


Steve’s still confused, “Wha’ happened? S’nice.” He closes his eyes again, and tries to burrow into Danny’s chest, but his movements are sluggish and uncoordinated.  


“Come on Steve,” Danny says, but Steve’s out again.  


Kono’s back, this time with a beanie. “You lose most heat from the head.”  


Danny manages a smile as the sight of Steve, in blankets and a beanie hat, but the anxiety doesn't leave his eyes. And then the paramedics are in there, and Steve’s lifted from Danny’s arms, wrapped in foil, still in the stupid hat, and Danny’s suddenly cold himself.  


“Go on!” Duke pushes Danny and he follows the stretcher. Steve’s mumbling again, “Danny?” and Danny speeds up until he’s alongside and can lay a hand on Steve.  


In the ambulance, one of the paramedics looks at Danny, “I’m Lea. Do you know how long he was in there?” She ignores his answer, though, to say to her colleague, “Look at his heart rate. Can you call ahead again?”  


It’s only minutes to Queens where Danny is shoved aside, albeit gently, and Steve is whisked into a cubicle. Hypothermia’s not unknown in Hawaii: despite the climate the occasional ill-prepared hiker gets caught out, or so Lea reassures Danny. “They know what they’re doing.”  


Danny paces, waiting for the doctors to do what they need. He hears, “He’s shivering!” and hopes that’s good, not bad. Danny looks at his phone. Should he call Chin, Kono? What would he say? They found Steve relatively quickly, but was it soon enough?  


Chin and Kono turn up not long after, both a little breathless and disheveled. Danny asks “Did you get anything at the scene?”  


“Oh, yes,” Kono says. “At the scene, there was half a print on Steve’s badge: Fong’s on it now, but back at HQ....”  


Chin carries on the tale, “Rogers wanted us out of the way. They tried to raid the office. I think they were looking for evidence on his case. They didn’t get anything though. Someone made sure of it!”  


Kono blushes. “We’d gone back: Chin wanted to look those phone calls up. I think they thought it would take us longer to find Steve. Amateurs. There were three of them.”  


Chin chipped in, “She kicked ass: I barely got my hands dirty. Rogers was in there himself.”  


“Jackass! He thought I’d be easy to get past!”  


Danny smiles at the rookie’s indignation.  


“Is Steve OK?” Chin asks, concern in his eyes.  


Danny shrugs, “They’re still in there with him.”  


“He’ll be OK, brah,” Kono says, the reassurance for herself as much as Danny.  


Danny has resumed pacing, and he’s surprised to be touched on the elbow. “Detective Williams? Would you come through?” Danny feels a lurch in his stomach: the nurse’s face is blank. “Is he...?”  


“Commander McGarrett is going to be fine: he’d like you to be there as the doctor has a few things to go through.”

Danny can’t stop smiling as he sees his partner, wrapped in blankets, wired up to monitors and an IV, but propped up, holding a cup of tea. He knows there are things to say, things he says too many times but will say again about safety and backup, but that will keep. And he’s got hold of Steve’s hand with a “Don’t do that to me, man,” and doesn't let go while the doctor explains about fluids and warmth, and monitoring.  


When the doctor’s gone, Steve frowns, the bruising stark against the whiteness of his face. He looks Danny in the eye, “I'm sorry, Danno. I didn't think.”  


And Danny doesn't let rip, doesn't say all those words he meant to say, all those words he’s said until they begin to mean nothing. Instead he leans in and wraps Steve in his arms, where he’s wanted him since the paramedics took him away. And the worried look disappears from Steve’s face and he relaxes back into Danny’s warmth.  


It’s a couple of hours before Chin and Kono appear, waking Steve from a light doze. Danny wonders for a second if Steve will pull away, but instead the taller man lies back in his partner’s arms as Kono says, “That was scary, boss!” and Chin greets him with a “Howzit, brah!”


End file.
